文化传播三人行必有我师（汉英对照）

　　三人行必有我师
　　孔子是中国古代的思想家、教育家，儒家思想的创始人。孔子生活在距今两千多年的春秋时期。他姓孔名丘，字仲尼。孔子三十多岁时已经非常有名，五十多岁担任鲁国的大司寇，是主管司法的最高领导。由于孔子管理有方，鲁国的社会秩序明显改善，路不拾遗，夜不闭户。因政绩卓著，孔子还代理过一段宰相。后因受到排挤，不再被国君重用，孔子只好离开鲁国，带着弟子周游列国。孔子风餐露宿，浪迹天涯，还好有弟子陪着，为他赶车。
　　一天正走得好好的，马车突然停下不走了。孔子让弟子去看看怎么回事。过了一会儿，弟子回来说:＂几个小孩在路上堆砌了一些土石，把路挡住了，说什么都不肯让路。＂另一个弟子跳起来说:＂让我去，看他让不让!＂孔子知道他脾气大，赶紧拦住说:＂还是我去吧。孔子问:＂小朋友们，你们在干什么呀?＂一个小孩说:＂在修建一座城池。孔子说:＂能不能让我们过去啊?＂小孩说:＂世上只有车让城，哪有城让车的?＂这回答让孔子哭笑不得，可又找不出词儿来反驳，干脆表现得高姿态一点儿，作揖道:＂太有才了!老师在上，受学生一拜。＂孔子回到车上，吩咐绕道过去。弟子们不解。孔子说:＂这孩子不简单，能想出车让城的理由，这辩才值得我们学习呀!看来自己的学问再大，也不能小看别人，连小孩儿都不能小看，更别说大人了。随便三个人，可能就有比你强的，只有虚心学习别人的长处，才能不断提高自己啊。这也算给我们上了一课，今天的收获也是不小呢。＂
　　那小孩儿史书上也有记载，叫项橐，是古代的神童之一。三字经里就有＂昔仲尼，师项橐，古圣贤，尚勤学＂的句子。因为有孔子拜师的说法，后人尊项橐为＂圣公＂，山东日照有座圣公山，就是因为项橐出生在山下而得名。孔子在中国家喻户晓，在世界上也备受推崇。他被奉为万世师表，不仅仅因为他学问大、知识多，他谦虚的学习态度，也是为世人尊崇的重要原因之一。学习吸收别人的长处首先要能发现别人的长处。你要是觉得自己比谁都强，那还能学什么? 所以，发现别人的长处是进步的第一步。那么，让我们都去找找别人的长处，看看有没有比我们强的地方吧。
　　Where Three Men Walk Together I Can Learn from One
　　Confucius(孔夫子)surname was Kong, his given name was Qiu, and his style was ZhongNi. He was a thinker and educator in ancient China and the founder of Confucianism. He lived in the Spring and Autumn Period over two thousand years ago. Confucius was already famous in his thirties. In his fifties he was appointed Minister of Justice in his home state of Lu, the highest judicial position among the ministers of that state. Under his administration, Lu＂s social discipline improved markedly; nobody would pick up things lost on the roads by others, and doors would not have to be locked at night. Because of his official achievements, Confucius for a time deputized for the Prime Minis- ter, but he lost his government position when he fell out of favor with the ruler of Lu. He was forced to leave the state, and, taking his disciples with him, travelled around various states in China. He suffered all kinds of hardships on his wide wanderings. Fortunately, he had his disciples to pull his wagon.
　　One day, the wagon, which had been going very smoothly, suddenly stopped, as the way was blocked. Confucius sent one of his disciples to find out what the problem was. After a while, the disciple returned, and said, ＂Some children have blocked the road with a pile of bricks. No matter what I said, they refused to clear the road.＂ Another disciple jumped up, and said, ＂I’ll make them clear it!?＂ But Confucius knew he was impatient, and hastily stopped him, saying, ＂Better let me go.＂ He asked the children what they were doing. One said, ＂We＂re building a castle.＂ Confucius asked, ＂Can＂t you let us go past?＂ The boy replied, ＂All over the world, wagons give way to castles; how can a castle give way to a wagon?＂ This reply caused Confucius to laugh bitterly, but he couldn＂t find the words to refute it. So, adopting a dignified posture, he bowed, and said, ＂Very clever! Teacher, your pupil salutes you.＂ Returning to the wagon, Confucius ordered that they drive round the obstruction. The disciples were puzzled.
　　Confucius explained, ＂Those children are remarkable. They can figure out the reasoning behind a wagon yielding to a castle. That is something worth learning for us. We may have a high opinion of our own learning, but we should not despise others, not even children, not to mention adults. Wherever there are three men together, one of them may be superior to me. If we modestly learn from others’ strong points we will continuously improve ourselves. Let us regard this as learning lessons, and what we learned today was not an unimportant one.＂
　　That boy has been recorded in history books as Xiang Tuo, one of the boy geniuses of ancient times. In the reading primer The Three Character Classic there are the words. Once Confucius learned from Xiang Tuo. The sage of old was wise, but he continued to study diligently＂ Because Confucius paid his respects to him as to a teacher, later generations regarded the young Xiang Tuo too as a ＂sage.＂ There is a mountain near Rizhao in Shandong Province, where Xiang Tuo was born, called ＂Sage Mountain＂ in his honor. Confucius is very well known in China. He is also revered worldwide. He has been honored as ＂Teacher of All Ages, not just because of his vast learning and knowledge, but also for his modest attitude to study, which is an important reason for his worldwide respect.
　　To learn from others＂ strong points, we must first learn how to discover them. If you are aware only of your own comparatively strong points, how can you learn anything? Therefore, recognizing others’ strong points is the first step on the road of progress. So let us all look for others＂ strong points, and discern the areas where they are – or are not -superior to us.
　　The Moral of This Story
　　Confucius was a great thinker, teacher and philosopher of ancient China. He was a man of immense learning, and had many disciples; nevertheless, he was humble in his studies, and prepared to learn from anybody. His reflection of the heart and wisdom of the Chinese people is one of the reasons for the veneration he receives.